Do I stay or do I go?
by blipdeblip
Summary: Series 5 rewrite. Snow, David, Regina, Henry, Belle, the dwarves, Zelena and Killian returned from Camelot to find Emma as the dark one. Trying to get away from everything, Killian goes to the docks for some peace only for Emma to turn up for a chat. He realizes that the darkness is not the only thing different about Emma. Even more, she expects him to stay with her.
1. Peaceful and disturbing nights

**Author's Note: Just an idea that popped into my head while I was in biology. Not sure how ong this will be but we'll see.**

 **The scene in Camelot takes places on the same day as Camelot in 'The Price' but at night and Emma and Killian are alone ;-)**

 **The scene in Storybrooke takes place after 'The Dark Swan' scene in Granny's with Dark Emma.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT**

 _ **Camelot**_

Emm sat alone in the room she had been given, staring at the stone wall. The room was furnished lavishly with beautiful carpets, tapestries and handcarved furniture that would make Gepetto jealous. The bed that she was currently sitting on, though not a king sized one, looked like one from, well, a fairy tale. Which made perfect sense to her as they were in a land of fairy tales. God, how had this become her life? She had come from the small girl bouncing between foster homes and foster families to being the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow white, had Captain Hook - _Captain Hook_ \- as her boyfriend, being friends (if that's what they were) with the Evil Queen who was in love with Robin Hood and sister of the Wicked With of the West and, to top it all off, a mother. Oh, and the Dark One. There was that too, much to her dislike. She definitely didn't feel bad about saving Regina, she just wished her lif wouldn't be so complicated now.

"Swan?"

Emma jumped, letting out a small yelp of surprise as she whisked around to see Killian stnding in the doorway. He was watching her with curiosity and worry. "Killian," she said quietly, trying to smile but can't.

"Love, whats wrong?" Killian asked, walking further into the room and sitting next to her on the edge of the bed. "You seem vexed."

"No, nothing's wrong," Emma replied hastily. "It's just, I don't know how _this_ became my life." She let out a sigh nd rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm just...a bit overwhelmed, I guess, by all that's going on," she tried to explain in better terms.

"ye, we all are a bit, love," Killin murmured into her hair, turning his head to kiss her head. "Not nearly as much as you though, I gather."

Emma chuckled nd smiled weakly. "No, that's not what I mean," she said, trying again to explain. "Grwing up, I never thought I mattered. I was just another kid in the foster system, hoping to find a family. Everytime I came close something would happen and I'd be sent straight back to the foster home, whether it was me running away or something I had done. Neal...at first he helped. I had a reason to think I was worth something, some _one_. Then he left me to go to prison and I-I was back to not meaning a thing." She stopped for a moment, sniffing slightly and nuzzled into Killian's shoulder for comfort. On instinct it seemed, he wrapped his good arm round her waist and held her to him. She couldn't help but smile into his shoulder at that. She took a deep breath, pulling away slightly, and continued. "When I found out I was pregnant with Henry, alone and in jail, I almost immediately decided to-to give him up for adoption. I thought a kid shouldn't have a mother that had been hurt so many times, felt so unloved and meant so _little_. I thought that giving him up so someone who could give the kid the love it deserved was for the best." She stopped again as she felt a tear slide down her cheek.

Killian smiled at her softly, lifting his good hand to wipe the tear away. "You alright, love?" he asked gently. "If you want to stop, I won't force you to continue."

Emma remained silent for a minute, wanting this quiet moment to last. "No," she said eventually. "No, I want to continue. I-I want to open up to you, Killian." In response, he smiled softly but the smile, though small, seemed to glow like a star with happiness, not for himself, but for _them_. "After I gave birth to Henry, my life seemed to get better in a strange way. I eventually got my first stable job as a bail bondsperson and so I didn't need to steal to live anymore. I had almost everything I wanted. A home, a job, money to survive on, a car...everything except a family that loved me. Or _anyone_ that loved me in that matter. At that point I never felt that Neal had ever loved me, I felt that he had just _used_ me as an excuse. So, when Henry turned up on my doorstep on my 28th birthday and took me to Storybrooke and told me my parents were there, I-I didn't know what to do. Everything has changed so much for me. I have parents that love me to death, a son that I adore and, most unbelievably, a boyfriend that really loves me."

Killian was silent for while, staring at her. "I'm not saying that _everything_ about my life now is bad-" she said hastily, fearing she said something stupid and wrong.

He just grinned before leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers. Emma let out a small squeak of surprise before letting out a small moan as he deepened the kiss. With a wave of her hand, she magicked the door closed and wrapped her arms around his neck. Whether she was pulling him closer to her or the other way round she didn't know, all she knew was that she wanted _more_. It scared her a little. She hadn't wanted someone this much before.

Eventually, they had to pull way to breath. "What was that for?" She asked, breathlessly but with a small smile on her face.

"To prove you wrong, love," Killian answered, just as breathless as her. Emma cocked her head in confusion. "You were going on about how you thought you didn't matter, that you felt worthless and I felt like I had to prove to you that you were wrong. You never meant nothing, Emma. Quite the contrary - you meant more than anything that world could understand then. More than _you_ could understand."

Emma looked down slightly and her smile grew wider. "Love?" Killian asked, curious whether he did anything wrong. Did I say something wrong?"

Emma looked up in alarm. "No!" she said, laughing slightly. "God no, Killian, that was...perfect. Everything you just said was perfect. I just don't know how I deserved you. How I could deserve someone so _perfect_. It's...just a lot to take in."

In response, he just smiled and pulled her into a hug. She sighed happily but felt a twinge of sadness. "I'm sorry," she mumbled into his ear, wrapping her arms round his waist and pulling him closer.

"Why are you sorry, love?" Killin asked back, confused.

"Sorry we're in this mess with me being the Dark One and all," she explained with a sad sigh.

"Love, you did it to protect your friend," he replied, pulling back and cupping her face in his hand. He carefully stroked her cheek with his hook and she shivered. Partly because the hook was cold but mostly because it was _him_ and she wanted _him_ , wanted _him_ so much. "There's no need to be sorry for that," he finished softly.

Emma stared up at him in awe trying to think of something to say in return. When she couldn't think of nything, she just reached up with a hand and drgged his head down to hers and crushed their lips together hard. Killian was taken back slightly at first but only for about a second before kissing her back with passion and a hint of lust. The last kiss had spoken of love, hope for them and Killin telling her she meant so much. This one, on the other hand, was hard and driving, fueled by _want_.

With another small wave of her hand, the door locked itself with a click. Emma grinned into the kiss as Killian manoevured them onto the bed.

And even if it could only last for one night, if it was just this night and this moment, she let go of her worries and allowed herself to enjoy the quiet moment to its full extent.

 _ **Storybrooke**_

 _ **Six weeks later**_

His head was reeling backwards as he stared out onto the deceivingly calm waters of the coast. Killian leaned against a wooden post at the docks, staring out at the water as he tried to figure out what had just happened.

Firstly, he had lost his memories. _Again_. Like, seriously, this was getting ridiculous how many times people took memories from them. Well, not him in particular, but definitely Snow, David and the others.

Secondly, he had failed. He had failed in his mission to save Emma. She was now the Dark One.

Killian was sadly very confident that it was Emma who had taken their memories. Killian sighed in frustration and stood up straight. He reached up to hold the ring that always hung around his neck for a small amount of comfort. Where was it? It wasn't there?

He was so distracted he didn't notice a whooshing sound behind him.

"Looking for this?"

Killian turned around to see Emma, no, _the Dark One_ , holding a chain with his ring on it. "Where did you get that?" he asked unhappily, walking towards her to get it back.

"Where do you think?" Emma asked with a cruel smirk plastered on her face, pulling the ring away and examining it. "You gave it to me."

Killin stopped a little away from her and watched. He didn't know what to do. Didn't know how to handle the situation. This was both the woman he loved and someone entirely different at the same time. "What do you want, Dark One?" He asked slowly.

Emma sighed and looked away from the ring and back to him. "I just want to talk," she answered, stepping closer to him. She smiled at him. The smile was too sweet - too _mocking_ \- to be Emma's. "I promise," she finished, stepping closer again.

She was barely even a foot away from him now and already his senses were on high alert. "Then say what you want to say then be gone," he said harshly. Everything about her now seemed cold and cruel, not at all inviting.

Emma cocked her head to the side, examining him for a while before smirking again. "Why the pier?" she asked suddenly.

"Why would you want to know that?" Killin asked incredulously.

"Just answer the question," she snapped harshly.

"The atmosphere in Granny's became too much with your parents fretting, Regina trying to take charge and the dwarves complaining," he said eventually.

"And you came to the place closest to the sea to seek comfort?" Emma said in that high pitched, patronising voice adults used on little children. Killian gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. "Well, my pirate is nothing if not _predictable_ , it seems," she commented coldly.

"I'm not _your_ pirate," Killin growkled. " _You_ are not Emma Swan. You are a demon wearing her face!"

Emma let out what could only be described as an amused laugh. "Oh, and you think you can just _avoid_ me from now on?" She asked incredulously, still laughing. She was reminding Killian of Zelena. That wasn't good.

"As much as possible, yes," he said louder, almost yelling now.

She let out a high pitched and hysterical laugh. "Oh, I don't think so, pirate," she said with a kind of sadistic glee. "You see, I have something to tell you that will make you want to stay with me."

"There's nothing in this world or the next that will make me sty with you," Killin snapped back.

"We'll see," Emma said in a sing song voice. She lunged forward and grabbed his hand. Killian tried to pull it away but her grip only tightened. Eventually he gave up and watched as she put his hand against her stomach. "You'll be stying with me for what, I don't know, _nine months_ from now?" She said quietly but darkly yet filled with that same sadistic glee.

That was when Killian realised what she was telling him.

Emma was pregnant.

She was pregnant and expected him to stay with her.


	2. Killian's decision and Emma's suspicion

**Author's note: This story has received a really good reception, so thank you!**

 **Storybrooke - day after last chapter. Same time as 'Siege Perilous'.**

 **Camelot - Emma and Killian while David and Arthur have gone off to get the Crimson Crown.**

 **This story will mainly be focused on Emma nd Killian, so, I'm sorry if you dislike that but that's how the story's going to go. Yes, there will be other characters as the story progresses.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT.**

* * *

 _ **Storybrooke, Present Day**_

"She's _pregnant_?"

Killian sighed in frustration, dragging his hand through his hair. "For the final time, mate, yes," he growled. It was the morning after his encounter with Emma. He had no choice but to tell the others. The reactions were mixed. Snow had clasped her hands to her mouth in shock, tears threatening to fall out. Regina had merely raised an eyebrow but he could tell that she was shocked too by the way her eyes had widened slightly. David was in between shocked and angry. Robin, as told by Regin beforehand, had taken Henry and Roland back to her house so he would have to be told by Regina. Belle had been shocked but had quickly calmed down and helped to control the situation.

"Did she give any clues as to who's child it is?" Belle asked calmly from the side.

"Aye," Killian answered gravely. "By the way she told me, I guess she was suggesting that it was me." He tried to sound calm but he was internally, for lack of a better term, freaking out. He couldn't be a father. Not after his had abandoned him as a child.

" _What_?" David shouted. He had switched into overprotective father mode. Killian gulped and nervously met his gaze.

"ye, but I can't be too sure," Killian continued to explain. "Emma never said exactly."

"Well, who else would she tell that she was pregnant other than the father?" Regina added unhelpfully. "Also, the fact that she wanted to talk to _you_ suggests that Emma may not be as angry with you as she is with the rest of us. Maybe we could use this situation to our advantage."

Killian turned to glare at her. "Out of the question, Dark One or not, I'm not going using her to get information," he said firmly. Emma may be the Dark One now, but he wasn't low enough to use her like a way of getting information.

"Are you suggesting you've actually _considered_ going with her, pirate?" Regina commented rather bitterly.

Killian opened his mouth to fire back before closing it. In truth, he had thought about it. He didn't want to be his father and bandon the child. Regina raised n eyebrow at him. "Well, your silence is all the answer we need," she snarked, looking back at David.

Looking back at David who had seemed to calm down. His glare had softened and he was now staring at Killian thoughtfully.

"Right, look, none of this is going to make sense for a while so I suggest we all just take a day to figure stuff out," he said eventually, nodding at Killian. "We'll all meet again tomorrow to talk about what happens next."

 _ **Camelot, Six weeks ago**_

Emma sat outside in the courtyard, staring at the tree that was supposedly the place where Merlin was trapped. She sighed and placed her chin on her hand. How was he - or Regina for that matter - meant to free the most powerful sorcerer from a _tree_. _A tree!_ Worse, she couldn't use magic herself to help out.

"Love, why are you staring at that tree like its the cause of all your problems?" Killian asked from the doorway.

Emma couldn't help but smile as he walked closer to her. "Because if Merlin wasn't stuck in a tree, I'd be able to get this stupid darkness out of me," she explained. Killian had sat down next to her, wrapping an arm round her shoulder. She let herself relax into his side and nuzzled his shoulder. "Thank you," she muttered into his shoulder.

"For what, love?" he asked, pressing a kiss to her neck.

Emma shivered slightly from his touch and let out a slightly shaky breath. "For last night," she continued. She felt Killian grin into a kiss on her neck. "Stop it," she scolded lightheartedly. "You make it hard to concentrate at times."

Killian grinned, kissing her neck one last time. "Sorry love," he chuckled. "Continue."

"I want to thank you for last night because, honestly, I needed a moment to just let go of everything and just relax," she explained. "You helped in that."

"Oh, much more than tht," he muttered in her ear, causing her to blush. She playfully slapped his arm before before relaxing into his arms (or was it arm?) and just sat there in peace.

She didn't tell him that she had overheard Arthur before he left with David talking to himself that he planned to take the Crimson Crown for himself.

 _ **Storybrooke, present day**_

Killian walked through the streets, trying to clear his head. He knew Snow and David were less than thrilled with the situation but also knew that he wouldn't do anything to Emma. Regina seemed to show no concern except for trying to use the situation to gain information. It was late afternoon and almost sundown. His time to make a decision was getting shorter by the second and he still had no idea what to do.

 _*start flashback*_

 _Killian stared at her in a stupor. He didn't know how to react. Emma just grinned that sadistic grin that chilled him to the core. "Not so keen to stay away now, are we?" she purred smugly. "Not when I'm pregnant. And Alone. Again. You'd feel too guilty, wouldn't you?"_

 _She was manipulating him, he knew it, but she knew the truth about him. Killian would never abandon her like this. This was definitely not Emma - this was cruel and manipulative woman who didn't care about anyone. He stared at her wordlessly, not sure what to say or do. "Leave me alone," he snarled angrily, walking backwards._

 _Emma just smiled darkly and walked towards him. "Why? I thought you'd be happy for me, Killian," she said with a mirthless laugh. "Or do you want to be like Neal and abandon me when I need you the most?"_

 _Killian glared at her, anger flaring up in his blue eyes. "Just_ go _!" He said loudly. "At least give me time to think!"_

 _She stopped walking and stared at him thoughtfully. The cruel smile on her face never left - in fact it only seemed to get wider."Alright," she said eventually, stepping closer. "You have until sundown tomorrow to decide. If you say yes, you come with me to my place and that's where you shall stay at least until the child is born. Say no, and I can guarantee you won't be safe."_

 _Without another word, a cloud of dark smoke enveloped her and Killian was left alone on the docks._

 _*End of flashback*_

Killian ended up at the dock in the exact same place where he stood last night when Emma had left. It was almost sundown and he let out a shaky sigh. What was he going to do? Dragging his hand through his hair, Killian stared at the sun getting ever closer to meeting the horizon as he waited for the dreaded moment.

"Killian!"

Killian turned at the sound of Henry's voice. "Lad, what re you doing here?" he asked curiously. "Does your mother know you're here?"

"I'm not a kid anymore, she can't tell me what to do," Henry replied stubbornly. "And I heard mom talking to Robin about Emma. I overheard that she told you something. What did she tell you, Killian?"

Killian looked at the ground, scratching his er nervously. "Aye, she did tell me something," he started nervously. He took a deep breath. "She told me she was pregnant, lad."

"Whoa," Henry said in response, his shock obvious. "I'm going to be an older brother?"

"Aye, it seems so, lad," Killian replied distractedly. The sun was even closer to the horizon now.

"What's wrong?" Henry asked, noticing how distracted he was.

"Nothing much, lad," Killian replied. "Emma wants me to stay with her. She gave me until sundown today to decide whether I go with her or not. Chances are, if I do go with her she'll never let me leave. If I don't though, I'll probably never see _her_ again."

Henry nodded in understanding. "You don't mean her now, do you? You mean fter she's back to normal. She'd think you abandoned her like my dad did - when she needed you most," he muttered.

Killian nodded. "Aye," he said quietly.

"Go with her," Henry said suddenly. Killian looked at the boy curiously.

"Dark one or not, she's still my mum deep down. She won't want to be alone for the next nine months. That's why she came to you. Chances are Grandma and Grandpa took a big part in why she went dark which is why she seemed so angry with them. My other mom won't let me go near her. She went to you because, I think, deep down there's still a part of her that loves you."

 _ **Camelot, six weeks ago**_

"You lost it!?" Regin shouted at David.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it!" David said defensively. "I was being attacked by undead soldiers from the bottom of the lake."

David had returned without the crimson crown, much to Regina's displeasure. Despite the earlier celebration, no one seemed in a good mood. Emma stood at the side, leaning into Killian's side, watching in utter silence. Her mother was strangely silent, saying a few words in David's defence, but seemed rather uneasy. Robin was trying his best to placate Regina. Zelena couldn't speak and Belle was staring at the rose.

"Well you should have tried harder," Regina snapped back, dragging a hand through her hair. She was clearly annoyed at this setback, but, knowing Regina, she'd find another way around her. It was one of the things Emma liked about Regina - how she'd always find a way and was too stubborn to give up.

She didn't even let herself think of bringing up the fact that she had seen Arthur and Guinevere with the enchanted toadstool in question.

 _ **Storybrooke, present day**_

It was sundown. Killian stood at the end of the dock, staring out at the ocean waiting for the sound of her arrival. Only as most of the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon did the whooshing sound of Emma's arrival sound. He turned to face her. She was dressed in a sleeveless black dress which showed the first signs of a small pregnancy bump. That was all the proof he needed - proof that she actually was pregnant and not making things up. Proof that sealed his decision.

"Well, pirate?" Emma purred darkly. "Have you made your decision?"

"Aye, I have," Killian muttered, staring at her with a small amount of pity but mainly guilt. Guilt that he had even considered the other option.

"And what is your decision?" she smirked, walking over to stand in front of him.

"I'll go with you," he replied shakily but with confidence.

Emma grinned maliciously in triumph. "I knew you would say that," she whispered loudly.

A dark cloud of smoke surrounded them as they took the both of them to her place where Killian would be staying.

 _Where he'd be staying never to leave again until everything had passed over,_ Emma thought to herself.

 _Where she could protect him_.


	3. New arrivals and Confrontations

**Author's note: Going insane right now for a few reasons:**

 **A) I just installed LibreOffice which is MILES better than Wordpad. I had my computer wiped a while a go so I lost Microsoft Word. It's so frustrating because THERE'S NO SPELL CHECK!**

 **B) All your reviews are amazing or really short and say the same thing but still awesome. (Like seriously all the guests saying 'can't wait' or 'OMG'…)**

 **C) LibreOffice is literally everything from word in one O.O (Word, Powerpoint, Excel etc.)**

 **D) IT HAS SPELL CHECK!**

 **So yeah, I'm very happy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT**

 **Camelot – Emma and Killian have returned to Camelot and Emma's talking with Regina and Robin. Zelena is in the background but isn't doing much.**

 **Storybrooke – Scene with Henry and Regina takes place after Henry talked to Killian.**

 **Emma and Killian arriving at her place should be obvious.**

 **Every other scene takes place the next day.**

 **(Read A/N at the bottom for some info on where this story's going. :3)**

 _ **Storybrooke**_

"And what were you doing out of the house, young man?" Regina asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Henry groaned and rolled his eyes. He had managed to climb through the window and back into his bedroom. He would have gotten away with sneaking out if it wasn't for Roland, who had seen him walking away and told his father who, of course, told his mother. "I wanted to talk to Killian," he answered simply. Meeting his mother's stare.

"That doesn't me-"

"He told me, you know," Henry cut in quietly. "He told me that she was pregnant."

He watched as his mother lapsed into a sad silence. "Henry," she said softly. "I was going to tell you eventually but no one knows exactly what's going to happen now. I wanted to wait until we knew what was going to happen next."

Henry nodded, keeping quiet about what else Killian had told him. He wasn't stupid – he knew the pirate would go with her. He knew that chances are he would never see Killian again for a long time. Henry wouldn't give up what Killian probably wanted to be kept a secret.

"I know," he said quietly, glancing out the window. It was just about time for the sunset. "I'm just tired of being last to know. I'm sorry."

Regina's stare softened as it often did with him and walked across the room and hugged him.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Henry," she said quietly. "As for what happens next, whatever happens, when we get your mother back to normal you'll be the best big brother anyone could wish for."

 **Page break**

When the dark smoke evaporated, Killian found himself in a scarily clean bedroom. The room was empty except for a bed with a white duvet and a table with a lamp. Emma stood at the side, watching him in both thoughtfulness and amusement as he looked around. She obviously found it amusing. He looked up at her. "So, I'm here, what do you want me to do now?" He asked impatiently.

Emma raised an eyebrow but didn't remove the amused smile on her face. "This is your room," she explained. "You will stay in here unless I say otherwise, understand?"

Killian eyed her warily but nodded slowly. "Aye, I understand you," he said stiffly.

Emma's smile grew a little wider and she tilted her head back slightly. "Good," she commented bluntly. "I'll be back later, now be a good boy and _stay_."

With that, Killian watched as a cloud of smoke surrounded her as she left. He sighed and sat at the end of the bed. Scratching the back of his head, he wondered what happened next. He had come to keep her company but she seemed to have just locked him away. What was going on?

 **Short section is short. I'm sorry :-(**

 **Camelot, Six weeks ago**

Emma was rather pleased that Rumplestiltskin seemed to have disappeared for a while as she walked back into the castle, arm linked through Killian's. The usual murmuring and chatter filled the air giving off a pleasant and comforting ambience as they walked towards their rooms. For the first time since she had taken on the Darkness, Emma felt...happy, even hopeful.

Of course, that had to come crashing down almost s soon as they walk past Regina's chamber. The sounds of Regina snapping angrily and Robin trying to console her unsuccessfully broke her short lived peace. Emma felt Killian give a groan of slight frustration. Apparently Killian had had little peace as long as she had herself.

"You go," Emma told him gently. "I'll sort out whatever is happening with Regina and Robin."

Killian paused to think for a moment before nodding. He gave her a peck on the lips before walking down the hallway. Taking a moment to prepare herself beforehand, Emma knocked on the open door to Regina's room.

Regina's head turns to look at her, as does Robin's and, surprisingly, Zelena's. "Emma," Regina says, slightly startled by her appearance. "What are you doing back so soon? No one was expecting you back for another few hours."

"Really? Why is that?" Emma asked curiously. "Or do you mean _hoping_ I'd be back later?" She tried to ignore the little flicker of anger in the back of her mind. What exactly was going on while she and Killian were out?

Regina looked back at Robin for help. When he gave her a helpless shrug, she turned back to her. "We don't exactly know what's happening," Regina began to explain. "Your mother said that Lancelot-"

"Wait a moment," Emma interrupted. "Lancelot is dead. Your mother said so – I was there!"

"Well, it seems my mother lied, as usual," Regina continued sharply. "Anyway, Lancelot told your mother that Arthur wasn't to be trusted. So, after you left, she told your father. After an argument they went to see if he could or not. When they returned they said that he could be trusted, but something's up, I can tell."

Emma frowned and nodded. "Were there any signs of a spell or anything?" She asked quietly.

Regina shook her head. "If there is, it's not any spell I know of," she confessed.

Emma and Regina shared a worried look. Regina was basically the head of knowledge on magic. A spell Regina didn't know of? Probably bad news.

"Okay, good," Emma said, the small flicker of anger growing into a medium sized flame.

"Good?" Robin interrupted, giving Emma a look as if she was crazy. "How is any of this good?"

Emma looked straight at Robin and glanced at Zelena, who watched with mild amusement.

"Because it gives me an excuse to confront Arthur."

 **Storybrooke, Six weeks later**

"Anyone know where Killian is?" David asked, looking around the group. Everyone except Killian was here. They all shook their heads. Everyone...except Henry. "Henry, do you know anything?"

Henry jumped slightly as David asked him a question and quickly shook his head. Regina narrowed her eyes slightly as she does when she's suspicious about anything. David opened his mouth to say something when Leroy ran into the diner. "What do you want, dwarf?" Regina snapped.

"You guys might wanna see this," Leroy said, panting slightly. "Seems like Emma brought more than just us with her." he turned and walked out of the diner quickly. Chairs scraped against the tiled floor s everyone got to their feet and dashed after the dwarf. Leroy led them into the forest and to a large crowd of people dressed in similar clothes that they had all found themselves in the night before.

"These people must be from Camelot," Mary Margaret said quietly. "Why did Emma bring them with her?"

David shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," he answered. "We should find out."

Mary Margaret nodded and they watched as a tall man dressed in silver armour with dark hair and a beard walked forward. "Are you the rulers of this kingdom?" the man asked.

Only when he spoke did David realise who the man was. Arthur, king of Camelot. "Arthur," he greeted. "How – why are you here?"

Arthur looked at him for a moment before recognizing them. "Ah, you're the group of people said to be destined to find Merlin we saw in Camelot," he muttered. "As for how and why we're here, we thought that you may have the answers to those questions."

 **Camelot, Six weeks ago**

"Arthur!" Emma said loudly, walking up behind the king, who was standing at the round table talking with Queen Guinevere.

"Ah, lady Swan, how may I be of help?" Arthur replied cheerfully, turning to face her.

Emma just scowled and glared at him. "What's happened to my parents?" she asked bluntly.

His smile faltered slightly but only for a second. "What do you mean? Has something happened?" he asked – the slight strain in his voice as well as the slight father giving him away instantly.

"Didn't anybody ever tell you about my superpower?" Emma said softly but with danger in her tone. "I can tell when _anyone's_ lying – and you're lying. Regina told me that my parents – specifically my mother - had suspicions about you. When they came back later they were acting strangely – even asking for _m_ \- the dagger. Bit strange, isn't it?"

Arthur's smile vanished and he frowned at her. With a few whispered words, Guinevere walked away, shooting her a glare. "What are you getting at?" Arthur growled when Guinevere had disappeared and the both of them were alone.

"I'm not _stupid_ , Arthur," Emma hissed at him. "I know that my father didn't just _drop_ the toadstool. In fact, I saw you with it!" She narrowed her eyes and watched as his eyes widened in shock. A small flicker of sadistic amusement burned at the back of her mind with no signs of vanishing.

She stopped. She thought hard and shook her head. "Just leave me, my family and my friends alone," she hissed darkly. "Or you'll have _me_ to deal with!"

 **Okay, so that's it!**

 **Important notes**

 **1)** **There may be a few a's missing. My keyboard isn't the best and my a button is a bit broken so sorry about that :-(**

 **2) Am I going to be using Dark One!Killian? No, I'm not. This is a rewrite of series 5A and you may notice some things in Camelot are different due to the plotline (Which I mostly make up as I go along, but still). With the direction I want this story to go in, Dark one!Killian just won't fit in. I'll say in another A/N if I change my mind but at this point Killian is staying normal and not turning into a Dark One.**


	4. Interrogations, thoughts and promises

**Author's Note: Hi, I'm back! Another stressful week almost over with – and then I'm on Christmas holidays! Woo! You know what that means? I have more time to write stuff! Yaaaay! Oh, and Christmas. Yay to that too!**

 **So, yeah, during Christmas holidays if you have bothered to read my other stories (most being ignored until I think of something/mostly forgotten) I will be trying to update them. You guys have been so supportive of this one though that I can't help but update it quickly. I'll put a note in my bio if I figure out what to do…**

 **I may just put every other story on hiatus and focus on this one…**

 **Anyway, sorry, I rambled on gain. Read on dear readers! Hopefully this chapter might give some insight into Emma's mind about the events going on :-)**

 **Disclaimer: As always, I don't own anything!**

 **Storybrooke – Same day just a little later on.**

 **Camelot – Couple days later, they've now been in Camelot around a week**

 **Storybrooke, Emma's house**

Emma lay back on the sofa staring at the wall opposite her, idly stroking the small baby bump showing through her dress. She wasn't stupid – she had been pregnant before – she knew that her pregnancy seemed to be going faster than normal. Six weeks was a lot sooner than normal to start showing. Despite her power though Emma had no idea what to do about it.

She had no idea what to do about Killian either.

Emma knew he wasn't too happy with the circumstances in which he was here – truthfully, she wasn't either – but she also knew him better than anyone else. She knew the last thing he would do was leave her alone again while she was like this. His reaction to her pregnancy had hurt her slightly, she would never lie about that – but she understood why he had reacted like that.

She was out of control that evening as she often was around other people as the Dark One. The Darkness inside of her seemed...scared of showing others the slightest hint of humanity. Afraid of showing signs that they could get the old her – the _good_ her – back. Killian was no exception – the Darkness had snatched her control away at the last second making her appear sadistic and insane.

Emma could see faintly from the slight consciousness she had that it had terrified Killian. It had killed her.

She only retrieved full control after she had left Killian alone but it was too late. The damage was done. Emma was sure that he hated her now.

Despite everything, there was more to this than what met the eye. She had control for a brief window of time – at the moment she and Killian had come here to her house. During that brief second she had one clear thought: she could protect him. As long as s _he_ didn't follow her, then Killian was safe – and that was all that mattered.

Well, that...and the baby.

 **Camelot, Five weeks ago**

Something seemed off. Killian knew from experiences of long periods of time at sea with the exact same people at sea when things were most definitely different.

This was one of those times.

Emma seemed to have caught an illness of some sort but she refused to talk, let alone look at, him. This worried him. He was scared that she would go back to how she was when they met – guarded and constantly hiding behind the walls she had built to protect herself from being hurt.

There was also the problem of the strange behaviour of Emma's parents. Killian often saw them hounding Regina to give them – or Arthur for that matter—the dagger. They had even come up to him to talk Emma into letting them have it. Definitely odd for them. When he had brought it up with Emma herself she had gone quiet and refused to talk about it.

Finally, Arthur himself seemed to be watching Emma warily. As far as Killian knew, the king didn't know about Emma being the Dark One but David could have told him on his and Snow's mission to see if Arthur was trustworthy. He wondered if Arthur had something to do with Emma's sudden silence.

He tried to dismiss the idea but found he couldn't. If they were to find Merlin, they needed to stay on this kingdom's king's good side. Leaning back into the wall sat on his bed, he didn't notice a knocking at the door.

"Killian?"

Killian looked over to see Emma stood at the door dressed in the same white dress she wore to the ball looking rather sheepish. "Oh, so you're talking to me again, are you?" he asked, more harshly than he intended.

Emma visibly flinched but stepped into the room anyway. Killian shook his head. "Sorry, love, I didn't mean it that way," he apologised gently, turning around and getting to his feet.

"No, it's fine," Emma replied quietly. "And I'm sorry for avoiding you like that. Something seems to have come up, that's all. Really, it's nothing"

He didn't have her superpower of telling when people were lying, but Emma seemed to forget that he could read her like an open book. This was more than just 'nothing'.

"No, no, it's not nothing," Killian butted in. "There's something wrong. What is it, love?"

Emma sighed and looked back towards the door as if she would run before taking a deep breath. "Do you remember when you took me to that field of flowers a few weeks go?" she asked.

"Course I do, love," Killian said gently, smiling at her. He walked a bit closer to her and cupped her face with his good hand.

She smiled at him, leaning into his hand slightly before pulling away again. She took a deep breath. "Anyway, you remember that when we got back I left you to go talk to Regina and Robin?" she continued.

Killian nodded at her.

"You probably noticed by now that my parents are acting...weirdly?" she said and Killian nodded in agreement.

"Aye, their behaviour has become quite odd," he admitted to her.

"Anyway, Regina told me how mum and dad had gone to see if Arthur was really trustworthy but when they got back they were acting very strangely and insisting that we give Arthur the dagger – _my_ dagger," Emma continued, closing her eyes on the last two words. "Regina said they may have been under some kind of spell or enchantment of some sort but she didn't have any idea what it was. So, I went and confronted Arthur about it."

"Did the king admit to it?" Killian asked.

She shook her head in response to his question. "No, he didn't, but he did prove that my vision wasn't tricking me like I thought it was," she said, slightly more cheerfully.

"What do you mean?" Killian asked, thoroughly confused.

"When my dad came back from his quest with Arthur to get the crimson crown, he said he dropped it in a lake, right?" she prompted.

"Aye, love, he did, but I don't see wha-"

"He didn't," Emma interrupted him firmly. "Dad didn't drop the damn toadstool, Arthur took it from him! I saw him with it at the round table with that damn queen of his. When I told him that I saw with it, he was so shocked that he gave himself away immediately!"

"So, what I'm getting from this is that Arthur can't be trusted despite your parents?" Killian said simply. Emma nodded, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. "Well, it does explain why he has been looking at you strangely," he muttered.

"Yeah, I know," Emma stated bluntly. "As soon as mum and dad are back to normal, I'm telling everyone what I saw. I'm not trusting him nyone I care about. Mum, dad, Henry...you...even Regina and Robin."

Killian smiled at her gently but watched in slight confusion as her hand hovered over her abdomen. "Something wrong with your stomach, love?" he asked in concern.

Her eyes went wide immediately, obviously thinking he hadn't seen. "You may have also noticed my habit of being sick recently?" she said weakly.

"Aye, that I did," Killian said quietly. "Are you alright, love? Do you need a doctor of some kind?"

"No, yes, maybe," Emma said quietly, frustration lacing every syllable. "I don't know, Killian."

"Why? Is it serious?" he asked worriedly.

"Depends on opinion," she laughed weakly.

Killian gave her a confused and mildly irritated look and she sighed in defeat.

"Killian," she said weakly, her voice trembling slightly.

"I think...I think I'm pregnant."

 **Storybrooke, five weeks later**

"Ah, I see," Arthur said, nodding in understanding after David had explained everything. "So you led the Dark One right into the walls of my castle. What, to hurt my people?"

"Of course not," David explained. "We needed to find Merlin to remove the Darkness from Emma in the first place and the only place to do that was in Camelot."

Arthur nodded but watched them all suspiciously. "So where is she? Where is the Dark One?" he asked eventually.

"We don't know," Regina replied sharply. "Do you think we would sit around talking to you if we did?"

David shot her a look. Regina making Arthur angry was not going to help. "As Regina said, we don't know," he explained. "And it seems a friend of ours has also gone missing - Killian Jones."

"Killian...Jones?" Arthur asked slowly, sounding confused but there was something else – recognition. Did Arthur remember what happened in Camelot or was there more going on here?

"Better known as Captain Hook," David informed the king. "He was...close to my daughter."

"Close? How close?" Arthur asked curiously.

"Oh for goodness sake," Regina sighed exasperatedly. "Romantic close, as in they were dating!"

The king's eyes widened slightly but he quickly regained his composure. "And Killian Jones has gone missing?" he continued to ask.

"And no one knows where he's gotten to," Snow piped in helpfully.

"Not exactly true," David interrupted, turning to face Henry. "Henry, do you know anything?"

Henry straightened up slightly as he was asked a question. "What made you think that, grandpa?"

"When I asked if anyone knew where Hook is, you didn't answer," he confronted.

Henry looked down slightly, gulping. "Okay, yeah I know where he is," He conceded.

"Henry, that's great," Snow praised. "Where is he?"

The fourteen year old boy just looked up and around at them all before looking bck down to the ground.

Then he answered.

"He's with Emma."

 **Emma's House**

Killian sat on the bed, glaring slightly at the closed door. Why would Emma do this? After practically forcing him to come with her, she just locked him up in a small bedroom? He had checked the door and yes, it was locked. With a sigh, Killian lent back and lied down on the bed. Despite the room's small size it was indeed comfortable and would suffice as a living quarters for a while but not forever.

Killian was dragged out of his thoughts as the door swung open to reveal Emma stood in the doorway. There was a moment of silence and, to his surprise, there was no smirk or cruel smile on Emma's face – just a look of devastation and unsaid words of apology. This wasn't the Dark One...this was Emma – _his_ Emma. It only lasted for that moment before she seemed to flinch and cried out in what seemed like pain, bending over and clutching her head in one hand. Killian leapt to his feet and stepped towards her.

Emma stood up straight, the cruel smirk back on her face, and stared at Hook in cool amusement. Any signs of Emma were gone, s if that moment had never happened.

"What was that, Swan?" Killian asked in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Emma replied with mock confusion. He could tell she knew what he was talking about.

"What just happened, that's what I mean," Killian snapped harshly.

She giggled cruelly and just smirked. "Oh, that," she said quietly, filled with sinister amusement at his confusion. " _That_ was a minor slip up. It will never – _never_ – happen again." She stepped towards him, grabbing hold of his wrist and brace.

Killian tried to pull his hands out of her grip.

He couldn't.

"This, however," Emma purred seductively, pulling him closer and wrapping his arms around her waist, "will." She stayed still and examined him for a moment. Killian noticed a slight hint of emotion – but only a little.

"Swan, what do you-" he was cut off by Emma grasping his head in two hands and crashing her lips to his. He let out a small grunt of surprise and she took the opportunity to deepen the kiss.

Killian was torn; his mind screamed to him that this wasn't Emma but his body screamed to him that, in a way, it was. His body had memorized how Emma had kissed – and it wasn't like this. With difficulty, he pushed her away to arm's length and glared at her fiercely.

"What was that for?" he spat out at her.

Emma looked up at him, seemingly hurt by his words. Her lips pursed and she sent him a white hot glare, the seething anger underneath showing.

"If that's what I get for trying to show you that I still care, then fine," Emma hissed savagely, "I won't do it any more."

She clicked her fingers and vanished in a cloud of smoke and the door clicked shut and locked itself once more. Killian was trapped. Again.

 **Camelot, five weeks ago**

Emma looked up at Killian, scared about how he would react. All she saw was shock. Her heart fell. Maybe he didn't want the child? The thought made her feel sick. She wouldn't abandon this child but she didn't want to do this alone either.

"Killian..." she said weakly, her voice cracking which betrayed the emotions she was trying to hide. "Look...if you..."

Killian seemed to snap back to reality and shot her an alarmed look. "Whoa, love," he said hurriedly, "You think that I don't want this child?"

"Well, you weren't saying anything..." Emma said weakly, feeling the familiar instinct to run.

Killian seemed to realize that she wanted to run and crossed the space and held her shoulders gently. "Love, I didn't mean to worry you," he said gently, pulling her into his chest and rubbing her shoulders. "Of course I want the young one. Aye, the thought of being a father terrifies me. My own abandoned me as a child-"

Emma drew in a breath sharply. "He what?" she asked loudly, realizing he had never told her.

Killian seemed to realize the same thing. "My father abandoned me and my brother, Liam, when we were only lads," he explained quietly. "After that, Liam became my parental figure but after he died I became—well, I became the man I am today."

Emma sighed in sympathy and tilted her head up, pressing a kiss to his jawline. "Look on the bright side, you had one more reliable parental figure than I ever did," she said, trying to dismiss the tears in her eyes. "Anyway, back on track." She stopped to laugh slightly, wiping a tear away. "Is that way you're so scared of being a father?"

"Aye, it is," Killian answered, cradling her face in his hand and hook. "I don't want to be like my father, love."

"And you won't be," Emma assured him, lifting a hand to cradle his head. She gave him a light kiss on the lips and a soft smile. "Just promise me one thing," she told him firmly.

"Anything, love," he muttered gently.

"If I have given into the darkness fully when I give birth," Emma said seriously. "Take our child far away so I can't hurt it."


	5. Not-so-alone time and talks

**Author's Note: This was meant to be out at Christmas but family and presents and pokemon….**

 **...And School… got in the way.**

 **Important: I've edited one word in the last chapter, it's now a she instead of a he.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time!**

 **Camelot: Now starting to deviate from the plot a little. Takes place at the same time 'Dreamcatcher' does but mostly focuses on Emma who's gone to have some alone time. As you can guess alone time doesn't last too long.**

 **Storybrooke: About a week after the last chapter. Nothing much happens, just Regina having an encounter with Emma.**

 **Camelot**

 **Five weeks earlier**

Emma sat on a log hidden in the forest alone. She was grateful for the support that her family and friends had given her – well, most Killian and Henry as her parents were still under whatever curse Arthur had used on them and Regina wasn't the most supportive friend ever and she wasn't really good friends with Robin and Zelena didn't need explaining- but now she needed some time alone.

The problem with her parents was worrying her as well as the problem that she still needed to get Merlin out of the tree. Emma sighed in frustration and held a hand to her abdomen, rubbing the area where her and Killian's child was busy growing soothingly. "What do I do, baby?" she muttered to her abdomen with a small smile. "How can I get your grandparents back to their normal hopeful selves?"

She silently laughed to herself in her mind because it looked like she was speaking to her stomach. Emma sighed and her mind strayed to her parents. Killian asked her why she hadn't wanted to tell her parents. She answered by saying that she had wanted them back to normal before telling them.

Emma looked up at the sound of footsteps. She turned and saw a middle aged woman with pale hair and wearing a purple shirt with a long pink skirt, both covered in grey patches. The woman was grumbling about something or over, looking past her with dark green eyes. The woman's face was muddy and she seemed to have no teeth at all except one.

"Um, excuse me, are you okay?" Emma said cautiously, unsure whether the woman was trustworthy or not. The woman looked familiar but she couldn't remember where from...

The woman jumped as if she hadn't noticed her before. "Wha-who are you?" The woman snapped in a rather high pitched voice.

Emma watched the woman carefully, unsure how to proceed. "My name is Emma," she said eventually. "Who are you?"

"Why would that be any matter to you, dear?" the woman said with a laugh. "You know, call it a...superpower of mine if you will, I can sense magic about you. _Dark_ magic."

Emma fidgeted uncomfortably, the urge to run kicking in. "Yeah, if you don't mind, I'm going to leave now," she said firmly, walking away from the strange woman.

As Emma left, the woman grinned to herself. "So, the new Dark One is in Camelot, is she?" the woman said to herself. "Well, that won't do, will it? I am the best sorceress in all the world and I won't let the product of true love get in my way!

After all, I am the marvellous, magnificent, mad Madam Mim!"

 **Storybrooke**

 **Five weeks later**

Regina walked down the side of the docks, heels clicking loudly against the concrete. Everything had suddenly taken a turn for what seemed like the worse. Henry was constantly being interrogated by the Charmings who were understandably worried about their daughter. Regina, oddly enough, found herself concerned for the pirate as well as Emma. She felt somewhat guilty for the situation as Emma only became the Dark One to save her and Hook was unintentionally dragged even deeper into the situation.

"If you're worried about Henry, don't be."

Regina whirled around and came face to face with Emma.

 _Oh God, what's happened to her?_ Regina thought in horror. Her skin had gone pale and her hair had gone from golden to white as ice, her eyes were cold and cruel and seemed to pierce right into her soul. Instead of the usual attire of red jacket and jeans, she wore a black trench coat over a black shirt and trousers.

"Why would I be worried for Henry?" Regina lied as smoothly as possible. "My son is capable of looking after himself perfectly well."

Emma narrowed her eyes before grinning wickedly, much like Zelena. "You're lying," she giggled in a high pitched voice, eyes gleaming deviously.

Regina shivered. She forgot about Emma's ability to tell if people are lying. She was hoping that this new dark Emma didn't have it. _Keep calm, Regina, don't let her get to you,_ she thought to herself.

"So what if I am?" Regina replied calmly. "I don't have to tell you a thing."

Emma's grin faltered slightly but she recovered quickly. "If you are lying, Regina," she said smoothly. "Then I promise that these next few months will not be fun for you _or_ Henry."

Regina's control snapped at the threat towards her son. "If you dare to go near my son, then I'll-"

"Then you'll what?" Emma snarled. "We both know that the time of you being an actual threat has passed, Regina. What can you do to me that won't make everyone lose their trust in you?"

Regina fell silent at her words. Unfortunately, she was right. If she did something to Emma no one would forgive her – especially Henry.

Regina couldn't take that risk.

"Time to face facts, _Madame Mayor_ ," Emma hissed. "You've tried so hard to redeem yourself that you've lost the fear factor that you used to have."

 **Camelot**

Emma returned to Granny's, slightly unnerved by her encounter with the woman earlier. The sound of the bell echoed as she entered the empty building. Everyone was still in Camelot as far as she knew and Emma still wanted to be alone. She walked to one of the booths and sat herself down in one of the red seats.

The bell rang again as someone entered followed by an annoyed huff.

 _So much for alone time,_ Emma thought to herself bitterly, glancing behind her shoulder to see Zelena stalking over to the bar counter. _Why did Regina let Zelena out of her sight?_ Emma asked herself but kept quiet.

Zelena seemed irritated by something – probably something Regina did – as she sat down on a barstool. She seemed to scan the diner before noticing Emma. Zelena seemed to jump at first but kept eye contact.

"Hey," Emma greeted cautiously, turning to face the witch.

Zelena studied her for a second before lifting her head in greeting. Emma thought for a second before remembering that Regina had used magic to remove her voice. Emma glanced at the window quickly before clicking her fingers.

"There you can talk for now," she said seriously, "but as soon as this conversation is over, you go back to silence alright?"

"I guess," Zelena agreed reluctantly, standing up to move closer to her. "How does it feel?"

Emma tilted her head curiously. "What does what feel?" she asked. "Being the dark one?"

"No," Zelena answered impatiently. She looked down at her feet and played with her thumbs nervously. "Being a mother," she said quietly.

Emma looked at the witch incredulously. "To be honest...I'm not the best person to ask about being a mother, Zelena..." she admitted.

Zelena laughed mirthlessly in disbelief. "I find that hard to believe with how much you care bout Henry," she said incredulously, sitting across from her in the booth.

"But it's true," Emma continued. "I love Henry, but I wasn't really there for the first 10 years of his life. Your sister, Regina, was the one who raised him. I gave him up for adoption as soon as he was born."

Zelena continued to look incredulous at her admittance. "But...why?" she asked quietly. "Why would you give up your own child?"

Emma sighed and looked down at her knees. She looked up sharply. "Why would I tell you?" she snapped, glaring at her.

Zelena opened and closed her mouth for a moment. "I just..." she muttered quietly. "I just though tht if someone as good as you would give up their child then I have no chance. I wanted to know if there was a good reason why..."

Emma sighed quietly as she got up. "This conversation's over," she said firmly, waving her hand to silence Zelena once more.

She walked quickly towards the entrance of the diner but paused as she opened the door. She turned her head and glanced at Zelena over her shoulder. "To give him his best chance," she said eventually.

Zelena gave her a curious look, silently asking what she meant.

"I gave Henry up to give him his best chance at life," Emma explained before closing the door behind her.

 **There we go! Hope you enjoyed this chapter (despite how ridiculously late it was…) With Zelena, I'm working on something that will be touched on again later on.**


	6. Reunions and Escapes

**Author's Note: Who's terrible at updating?**

 **Rhetorical question, don't answer that. (Answer: It's me)**

 **Sorry about slowness, I've been busy with school. :c**

 **FIRST HALF IS JUST A BUNCH OF FLUFF!**

 _ **Storybrooke:**_

 **First and second scenes; just some Hook and Dark!Emma interaction, but different to previous interactions.**

 **Third scene; Violet gets too curious about Storybrooke and bad things happen.**

 _ **Camelot:**_

 **First scene is Emma after talking with Zelena last chapter talking with Killian. Just general fluff in this time of angst!**

 **Second scene, Zelena exploring and finds something (hopefully better than it sounds!)**

 _ **Storybrooke**_

 _ **Present day**_

 _Knock knock_

Killian glanced at the door halfheartedly. He knew she could just let herself in...so why was she _knocking_? He was sitting on the side of his bed which was surprisingly comfortable.

"Killian? Can I come in?" she said through the door. He sighed and muttered a quick yes, turning to face the door. The sound of metal clinking together got his attention as the door slowly opened. Emma walked in holding a large tray with two plates of lasagne from Granny's against her waist with one hand. "Thank you," she said with a surprising warmth in her voice.

"So, it looks like you're not trying to kill me after all," Killian muttered. He knew he was being too harsh, but he couldn't find it in himself to stop at that moment.

Emma visibly winced and looked down at the ground. "Killian, I know it doesn't make sense right now, but you have to trust me that I'm trying to do what's best for you and our child," she said quietly, standing opposite him.

He fell into silence and he thought he saw at least part of who she had been – who she _really_ was – in her eyes as she stared at him, trying to get him to understand. "But why lock me in here?" He asked.

"I can't explain right now, but it'll make sense soon," she said quietly, stepping forwards towards him. She glanced from him to the space next to him, she was asking him if she could sit down with her eyes.

He couldn't say no – not when she was acting like her normal self.

He nodded at her and she sat down next to him, smiling gratefully. He took the chance to look at her more closely. There was more colour in her cheeks and her eyes seemed slightly brighter than they were on that night on the dock.

She shifted the tray carefully nearer to him, balancing it between them carefully. He looked up at her to see her watching him wistfully but as soon as they made eye contact she looked away.

"Have you thought of any names?" He asked suddenly, wanting to break the tension in the room.

Emma looked up at him again, regarding him coolly. He thought he could see the flickering of darkness in her eyes that she seemed to be keeping at bay. "A few," she admitted. "It's...the only thing that really gets me through this..." Her eyes flickered closed and her head fell slightly.

Killian looked down, feeling slightly guilty (though he had no idea why). "May I hear what you came up with?" He asked gently.

She shook her head at him with a small smirk. "I want it to be a surprise," she explained.

He looked up at her with a smile. "It's you, isn't it?" He asked softly. "The real you, not the dark one."

She looked down at her knees and nodded slightly. "I'm sorry...I don't know how long I can fight _her_ back, but I wanted...I _needed..._ to see you while I was _me-"._ He never let her finish as he crushed his lips against hers with almost bruising force. She let out a slightly muffled squeak and tensed slightly before relaxing and lifting a hand to thread into his hair, tilting her head slightly to deepen the kiss. It was a heated battle of tongues, teeth and passion that seemed to last for seconds before they had to part for breath.

He smiled slightly, panting slightly, touching his forehead against hers. He glanced up at her and saw her looking up at him through her lashes with a breathless smile on her face. There was still the familiar green shine in her eyes but the flicker of dark in them seemed to get darker.

"'s alright, swan," he murmured. "Any time to see the _real_ you is good enough for me."

Emma smiled at him – a _genuine_ smile – and pressed another light kiss to his lips. "Good," she said in a content voice.

 **Camelot**

 **Five weeks ago**

Emma walked through the corridor of the castle, white cape trailing behind her. The strange old woman was still in her mind – something was oddly familiar and creepy about her. She tried to dismiss the idea of her out of her mind but it didn't work.

"What's wrong, Dearie?" giggled a hauntingly familiar high pitched voice. She tensed and closed her eyes, trying to will Rumplestiltskin away. "That won't work, Dearie, I'm always here!" He giggled from behind her.

"Go. Away." She spat out. "I. Won't. Turn. Dark. For. You."

Rumplestiltskin laughed maniacally. "There's only one way to make me go away," he said scornfully. "And you just said your not going to do it."

"Then I will find another way to get rid of you," she hissed venomously. A heavy feeling settled in her chest and she felt slightly...off. She had gotten used to the familiar thrum of magic under her skin, but she wasn't used it feeling so...heavy and just _wrong_. The sensation passed however and she opened her eyes, inhaling deeply as a flicker of fear crossed her mind. Was that what it felt like to be dark?

She shook her head, pressing a palm to her forehead, and slid down into a nearby chair. She couldn't let that feeling settle – couldn't let goddamn Rumplestiltskin _win_. She stood up, placing a hand lightly on her abdomen. "No, I can't let him win," she cooed gently. "Not when I have _you_ to consider – and your dad of course."

As if the baby growing inside her was trying to reply to her, a wave of nausea washed over her. She lurched forward out of her seat, grabbing a bowl Killian had _borrowed_ from the castle kitchen and throwing up the contents of her stomach. _God, this is why I hated the early stages of pregnancy so much when I had Henry_ , she thought to herself.

"Swan, are you alright?"

Emma turned and faced Killian, who was stood in the doorway looking concerned. She nodded. "Yeah, just morning sickness," she muttered, stalking over to him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

He looked down at her with a slightly perplexed but appreciative smile on his face, that goddamn eyebrow raised. "Hello love," he said cheekily.

She grinned up at him, leaning up to press her face into his neck. "How long have you been here?" she asked curiously.

"Not long," he answered honestly, lifting his good hand to stroke the back of her head. I was just outside when I heard you talking to the little one when I heard you rush over to somewhere and here I am. And you? Where have you been all day?"

She leaned further into him, moving a hand up to his shoulder. "In the forest," she mumbled. "I...needed time alone. I'm sorry if I worried you." She chose not to worry him about the woman quite yet. "Just, everything was getting a bit much and I needed time to think."

"Aye, I understand. Back in my pirating days I would often take time alone just to think," he admitted.

"Even with…?"

"Milah?" Killian finished for her with a small smile, but she noticed how it faltered slightly."...Aye, even with her. She was understanding; she liked her alone time as well. I...never really told her I loved her that often….and I just..." He stopped and closed his eyes.

Emma felt her heart go out for him – she feels like she does that too little with her parents and Henry. "You wish you could have told her more often," she comforted, leaning back so he could see her properly and placed a hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry, Killian."

"'S not your fault," He said softly, leaning into her touch. "The past is the past, and I know I'll always love Milah in a way – she was my first _real_ love – but what I felt for her is much different than what I feel for you. As much as I loved her, if I had to choose between you and her, I'd choose you."

Emma felt tears at the back of her eyes and sniffed slightly, shaking her head. "I'd wouldn't….I'd _never_ try and make you choose," she said quietly, choking up slightly. A few tears fell down her cheek and she giggled slightly, lifting her other hand to wipe them off.

Killian beat her to it though, using his hook to carefully remove them. She smiled and moved the hand on his cheek to hold his hook, the smooth steel cold beneath the smooth skin of her fingers. He looked down at her hand, staring in awed silence for a second and she could see shock and pure _love_ in his eyes and he looked up at her face and her smile just grew wider. "Why…. _how_ can you treat my hook like that?" He asked quietly, a flicker of pain darting through his eyes as he mentioned the metal appendage.

"What do you mean? Treat it like what?" Emma asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Like it's not a weapon and a tool for murder."

She shook her head firmly. "That hook may have been used for bad things before, but it's as much a part of you as your body, heart and mind," she explained. "All the bad things...all the _good_ things….that you have done, they make you _you_. I'd never treat it differently than I treat the rest of you."

Killian was silent before pressing his lips to hers in a hard but chaste kiss. "And you say you don't have a way with words," he chuckled, voice thick with emotion.

Emma just smiled coyly, stepping back from him. "Come on," she laughed. "I'd promise Regina I'd talk to her about my parents – you're coming with me."

Killian grinned and kissed her cheek. "No arguments from me, love."

Holding his hook firmly in hand, she led him out of their room and down the corridor.

 **Storybrooke**

 **Present day**

They settled into a comfortable silence simply taking solace in the fact that they were together as _them,_ not the Dark One and the confused and angry pirate. "How long do you think we have left?" Killian asked quietly, clutching onto Emma's hand tightly. He would never have admitted it – but he was scared about what happened afterwards in that moment.

Emma looked up at him with sad eyes and shook her head. "I don't know, but I don't think it's very long," she admitted forlornly. She closed her eyes and he could tell she was fighting tears back – she, much like him, was trying not to cry.

He sighed, pressing his forehead to hers lightly. "We'll fix this Swan, like we always do," he mumbled reassuringly. He could feel her breath as she chuckled lightly and nodded.

"Yes, I'm sure you will eventually," Emma said, voice breaking slightly before she pulled away. Her hand slipped out of his as she stood up; she was shaking her head aggressively and Killian's heart sank as she stopped and looked at him with the confident demeanour and smirk of the Dark One. "But how will you do it locked in a room?" She laughed mirthlessly, spinning on her heel and seemingly glided out the door.

The door banged shut behind her with a bang, followed by the lock clicking.

 **Camelot**

The forest, Zelena decided, was rather boring. Sure, it was miles better than the dingy cell her sister had stuck her in, but trees going on for seemingly miles and miles got pretty boring after a while...

"Are you lost, dear?"

Zelena spun around quickly (difficult to do in the dress she was wearing) and faced an old woman with purple-ish hair and a patch covered shirt and skirt. "What do you want, you old hag?" She asked impatiently, eying the woman with distaste.

The woman scowled at her and sighed in frustration. "You young witches...no respect for your elders," she spat.

Zelena raised an eyebrow, surprised that this old woman knew she was a witch. "How do you know what I am?" Zelena asked slowly and cautiously.

"Well, a witch can always recognize another witch!" The elderly witch cackled, scowl replaced with a manic one-toothed grin. "Surely you know that!"

Zelena eyed the witch before stepping forwards with caution. "Who are you?" She asked eventually, curious about the identity of this strange woman.

The witch tutted and shook her head, wagging her finger. "Now, now, tell me your name first!" she insisted.

Zelena paused for a moment, questioning whether or not to tell her. "….Zelena," she muttered eventually.

"Zelena, eh? That means you're the Wicked Witch from Oz!" The old witch cackled gleefully, seemingly enjoying herself immensely. "You are, aren't you?"

She nodded.

"Well, Zelena, I," The witch announced proudly, "am Madam Mim!"

 **Storybrooke**

"So this is a hospital?"

Henry grinned as Violet looked around the lobby of the hospital, watching nurses wheel patients from room to room hurriedly. "Yeah, this is where people go to get medicine if they're injured or sick," He explained quickly, following after her as she walked off to explore.

"That's so useful! Back in Camelot, you had to get a physician – if you could afford it or find some other alternative such as barber surgeons or even a witch doctor **(A/N: Hehe, History GCSE knowledge for the win :3)**. It was nowhere near this convenient! Violet rambled excitedly. "Hey, what's this?"

Henry turned and saw that Violet was looking at the code panel for the mental sickness section. "Uh, only my mum and doctors are allowed in there," he muttered awkwardly.

"That's a shame," Violet sighed sadly.

"Hey now, I don't see the harm in letting your friend see what's down there."

Henry and Violet turned to see Dr Whale standing behind them with a smirk on his face.

"Really?" Violet asked excitedly.

"Sure, just as long as I'm there and you don't cause any trouble for the workers," Dr Whale said cheerfully, striding past them and jabbing the code into the panel. They watched as a section of the wall moved away to reveal a staircase. Dr Whale lead them down and told the nurse at the counter about what was happening.

Henry sttood awkwardly behind him, not noticing Violet sneaking past him.

Violet walked into the hallway, looking at the metal doors. They each had a slot in them with a panel that looked like they could be moved aside. Curious, she walked up to one of the doors and slid one of the panels to the side and looked inside.

Inside the obviously small room was a tall woman with red hair sat against the wall with her legs up on the bench, staring into space….

...at least she was staring into space until her eyes drifted over to see Violet looking at her. The woman grinned at her and Violet felt rather uneasy. She moved to close the panel when the woman's grin vanished and she looked down, obviously upset about something.

Violet looked back at Dr Whale and Henry who were talking to each other about the current situation with this 'Emma' woman.

She turned back to look at the strange woman – who was staring at her again with renewed interest, glancing from her down to where the doorknob should be.

Violet, confused and unsure what to do, moved a hand to open the door as if she was in a trance. The door opened with an audible click – Violet winced slightly at the sound, turning to see if anyone had heard but they were seemingly oblivious. She turned back quickly and started as the redheaded woman stood right in front of her, her wrist – a black coloured bracelet of sorts on it made of some strange material – stretched out to her.

"Take it off," The woman mouthed.

Violet nodded meekly, nervously removing the strange accessory.

"Hey, close that door!"

Violet turned with a squeak of fear as the nurse from the counter stormed towards her…

...only to be flung backwards by a pulse of bright green light.

"Oh, it feels good to have my magic back!" The woman sighed happily, stalking past Violet and the now unconscious nurse. Violet watched in horror as the woman waved her hand, sending Henry and Dr Whale crumpling to the floor.

"Thank you," The woman called from the staircase. "You've been very helpful!"

Violet could only watch as the woman walked away with a grin and a cruel laugh.


End file.
